Registered Sex Offender From Harford Co. Indicted On Child Sex Crimes

DARLINGTON, MD —A federal grand jury has indicted a Harford County man in connection to child sexual abuse charges spanning across three states.

Jason Alex Candelaria, 34, of Darlington has been charged with production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), online coercion and enticement, and possession of CSAM. In 2017, Candelaria was previously convicted in Maryland of third-degree sexual offenses and was a registered sex offender during the timeframe alleged in the indictment.

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According to the indictment, between November and December 2025, Candelaria used several social media platforms to communicate with minors from Maryland, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Candelaria then coerced and enticed the minors to produce explicit videos of themselves which he recorded. In some instances, Candelaria also traveled to the minor victims' homes to engage in sex acts. Candelaria also recorded some of the sex acts with the minor victims. Authorities later uncovered the videos on Candelaria's cell phones, the indictment stated.

If convicted, Candelaria faces a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years in federal prison for production of CSAM, a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life for online coercion and enticement, and a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years for possession of CSAM.